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| Magoffin drug investigation leads to 21 indictments, discovery of large moonshine operation
5-29-08 SALYERSVILLE – An eight-month undercover investigation into illegal drug trafficking in Magoffin County has resulted in arrest warrants for 21 individuals on 45 charges. Operation UNITE detectives, with the assistance from the Magoffin County Sheriff’s Office, began serving the indictment warrants on Monday, May 12. As of Thursday afternoon 14 of the suspects had been located. Late Wednesday morning law enforcement officers happened upon a large indoor moonshine still at a residence on Roanne Road in a remote section of southern Magoffin County. About 11:30 a.m., UNITE detectives and sheriff’s deputies went to the home of 42-year-old Edison Porter, located at the end of a mile-long driveway on top of an abandoned strip mine, to serve a warrant for trafficking in marijuana (less than 8 ounces). Porter apparently spotted the officers approach and fled out the back door of an outbuilding, which housed the still, items used to produce moonshine, and containers of the finished product. Kentucky State Police troopers and Alcohol Beverage Control officers were called for assistance. Inside the shed police discovered eight one-gallon jugs and 50 quart jars filled with moonshine, large tank being heated with a propane burner, four barrels of sour mash, and bags of corn, rye, yeast and other supplies. ABC officials are continuing the investigation and will decide what charges to file. Porter was charged Thursday after turning himself in to authorities. In addition, on Tuesday, police arrested two Lawrence County men while attempting to serve a warrant at a residence on Flynt Branch. Police recovered approximately 200 Oxycodone pills and 100 Xanax bars from one of these subjects. • Terry Raines, age 45, of Highway 1690, Louisa, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, third-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and tampering with physical evidence. • Jackie B. Haney, age 40, Lawrence County, first-degree possession of a controlled substance (Oxycodone). Haney also had an indictment warrant from Floyd County for first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. Magoffin Sheriff Randall Jordan extended the resources of his department during the investigation, which involved mainly sales of OxyContin, Hydrocodone and some Percocet tablets. Sealed indictments were returned by the Magoffin County Grand Jury last week. Officers continued to search for seven suspects Thursday afternoon. Arrested as part of the investigation were: • David Arnett, age 41, of State Route 40, Salyersville, three counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (second offense), and second-degree persistent felony offender. • Creed Edward Arnett, age 33, of River Road, Salyersville, four counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Lora Ball, age 38, of State Route 378, Salyersville, two counts of second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Jamie Bailey, age 35, of Porter Road, Royalton, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Kerry A. Burke, age 27, of Bull Mire Road, Royalton, two counts second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Bridgette L. Carty, age 27, of State Route 7, Royalton, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Elwood Fletcher, age 49, State Route 378, Salyersville, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Amanda Howard, age 25, of Bull Mire Road, Royalton, three counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Bobby D. Howard, age 36, of State Route 7, Royalton, three counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • James K. McGuire, age 68, of Route 40, Salyersville, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Remonia Mills, age 36, of Boyd Branch, Paintsville (Johnson County), two counts of first-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine and cocaine), possession of drug paraphernalia, and first-degree persistent felony offender. • Roger L. Nickels, age 46, of Mill Fork Road, Royalton, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Edison Porter, age 42, of Roanne Road, Royalton, trafficking in marijuana less than 8 ounces. Additional charges are pending. • Jeremy M. Puckett, age 32, of Flynt Branch Road, Salyersville, first-degree conspiracy to traffic in a controlled substance (OxyContin) and possession of drug paraphernalia. Conference to educate citizens about dangers caused by methamphetamine 4-7-08 MANCHESTER – What you don’t know about methamphetamine can kill you. To help educate citizens about the dangers, a methamphetamine awareness conference for all citizens will be held at the Manchester City Hall starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 17. Because of the nature of the discussion, no one under age 18 will be admitted. “This is absolutely a safety concern,” said Clay County Sheriff Kevin Johnson. “The selling point would be really how dangerous this (drug) is, not only to the user or the maker, but to the people in the neighborhood. Most people sit around with a blind eye … when in reality if it’s up the road it’s a hazard to you.” Manchester Police Chief Jeff Culver agreed. “We want to bring some education to the public to help them with safety issues, make them aware to know what to look for, and to know if they spot anything suspicious they can call us.” Culver said. “In the last several weeks our agency, along with the sheriff’s office and Operation UNITE have investigated and dismantled between 40-50 active and inactive meth labs. The ingredients used are very toxic and can be lethal.” The idea to hold a public informational conference came after representatives from the Clay Countians UNITED coalition attended a special training session for law enforcement officials on March 28. “This is scary stuff,” said coalition Co-Chair Doug Abner. “What we came away with was that the private citizen can walk up on something, or walk in a house, and be right in the middle of something before they realized it. We learned a whole lot. It’s something all people need to know.” Seven officers with the Manchester Police Department and nine deputies from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office attended the recent meth training conducted by UNITE. “I was surprised at the ease in making it. It’s not as complex a process as I thought it was,” said Johnson, adding the public needs to learn what to look for – especially the trash and garbage that is left over from the production process. “Whether they want to help law enforcement or not, people need to be aware of the dangers for the safety of their own families,” Culver noted. Both Johnson and Culver said the recent surge in methamphetamine lab discoveries may be due, in part, to better enforcement coupled with greater public support. “For the longest of time the complaints fell on deaf ears, and now they’re not. They’re being investigated,” Johnson said. “We’re out here trying to make a difference in our community.” “Our drug problem comes in cycles. We’ve been under a dark cloud for so long, we’re finally receiving help from outside agencies,” Culver said. “We are bringing change, and it will help us economically and make Clay County a place where people will want to come.” For more information about the meth awareness conference you can contact Chief Jeff Culver at 598-8411, ext. 224, Sheriff Kevin Johnson at 598-3471, coalition Co-Chair Doug Abner at 598-8871, or coalition Co-Chair Ken Bolin at 599-6820. Meth, moonshine and marijuana found at Laurel home; second lab in four days 4-1-08 LONDON – Two Laurel County brothers were arrested Thursday, March 27, after law enforcement officials discovered a methamphetamine lab, an active moonshine still and a bed of marijuana plants at their East Bernstadt home. In a separate incident, two Laurel County residents were arrested Monday, March 24, after a methamphetamine lab was found at a home on Hawk Creek Road. During cleanup efforts on Hawk Creek, an Operation UNITE detective was exposed to anhydrous ammonia fumes. After being treated by UNITE’s Emergency Medical Technician on the scene, the detective was checked out at St. Joseph London Hospital (formerly Marymount Medical Center) and released. “When an officer who has been trained to handle methamphetamine can become accidentally exposed to potentially harmful vapors, it shows how dangerous this production process can be,” said Karen Engle, President/CEO of Operation UNITE. “In this case we were lucky, but someone else who may happen upon a lab, or materials used in the manufacturing process, may not be as fortunate.” Investigations into both these cases were conducted by members of the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office and Operation UNITE. In addition, federal ATF agents assisted with the East Bernstadt case after an illegal gun and a suspicious container were discovered. Using information obtained by the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were assisted by UNITE detectives in serving a search warrant at the home of 38-year-old Dwain Bailey and 36-year-old Mike Bailey on Highway 3094 in East Bernstadt at approximately 9:20 a.m. Thursday. Inside the residence officers found approximately 2 grams of methamphetamine, a sawed-off shotgun, a suspicious container, and an active moonshine still. Because of its small size, police believe the moonshine was being produced for personal use. The ATF’s hazardous device team was called in to examine the container, which turned out to have a harmless amount of black power inside. Around the residence officers found a 5-gallon storage tank containing anhydrous ammonia, four empty tanks that had been used to hold anhydrous ammonia, several devices used to generate hydrogen chloride, 35 grams of crushed pseudoephedrine (enough to produce 31 grams of methamphetamine), and several other items used in manufacturing methamphetamine. Police also found 53 marijuana plants growing in a wooden hotbed. Both brothers were charged by UNITE with manufacturing methamphetamine. The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office charged each of the brothers with unlicensed manufacturing of an alcoholic beverage and cultivating marijuana more than 5 plants. The shotgun, along with three other weapons found in the residence, were turned over to the ATF. At approximately 4 p.m. on Monday, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office and UNITE responded to a complaint of a possible methamphetamine lab on Hawk Creek Road. Officers found components of a lab along under a rock overhang that had a large hole dug where waste products were illegally tossed for disposal. Police charged Marsha Smith, age 49, and 31-year-old Ben Burdette with one count each of manufacturing methamphetamine and first-degree wanton endangerment of police officers. Both lab sites were cleaned up by members of UNITE’s Meth Lab Response Team. Meth debris In yet a third incident this week, UNITE and the sheriff’s office were called to a property on Highway 3094 in East Bernstadt after a property owner reported finding a garbage bag containing three containers that had been used in the production of methamphetamine. Because the homeowner had received training about meth labs, he immediately recognized the items as potentially hazardous and called for assistance. UNITE removed the materials without incident. Shipment of pills intercepted; 1 man charged 3-17-08 SAYLERSVILLE – A Magoffin County resident who had been receiving prescription pills through the mail and reselling them locally was arrested Wednesday, March 5. Jason Slusher, 26, of Salyersville, was charged with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, second offense, and lodged in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center. The arrest came following a two-month joint investigation between detectives from Operation UNITE, the Magoffin County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Postal Service. The investigation was initiated after Sheriff Bob Jordan received a tip that Slusher was receiving weekly packages containing controlled narcotics. UNITE detectives were asked to help with the case. UNITE Law Enforcement Director Dan Smoot said Slusher’s mother and her boyfriend had been sending the drugs from Albion, Michigan, for at least the last six to eight weeks. Earlier this week, a special agent with the U.S. Post Office in Salyersville intercepted one of the U.S. Express mail packages and obtained a federal search warrant. Inside the package they discovered 40 OxyContin 80mg tablets. Police were on hand when Slusher came and signed for the package at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. He was immediately taken into custody. According to Smoot, Slusher was delivering the packages to another person in Magoffin County to be sold. Possible charges against Slusher’s mother and boyfriend are pending further investigation. UNITE’s 100th drug roundup targets 51 suspects in Harlan County 2-21-08 HARLAN – Continuing problems with illegal drug sales throughout Harlan County resulted in a roundup targeting 51 individuals on Friday, February 15. This was the 100th time in nearly four years that Operation UNITE has attempted to take drug dealers off the streets in the 29-county Fifth Congressional District. Nearly all the indictment warrants were for the illegal sale of prescription drugs, mostly OxyContin, said Dan Smoot, UNITE’s director of law enforcement. The remaining charges were primarily for crack cocaine, believed to have been brought to Southeastern Kentucky from South Carolina. Participating in the roundup was ABC television news personality Diane Sawyer, who is filming a segment on the OxyContin and prescription drug problem throughout Southern and Eastern Kentucky for an upcoming special. UNITE detectives were able to obtain drugs from most communities in Harlan County during the investigation, which began about six months ago, Smoot continued, adding many of the sales were tied to the well-publicized prostitution problems in downtown Harlan. At least two of those sought in Friday’s effort were arrested by UNITE during previous roundups. Assisting UNITE detectives with Friday’s roundup were approximately three dozen officers from the Benham Police Department, Cumberland Police Department, Evarts Police Department, Harlan Police Department, Harlan County Sheriff’s Office, Kentucky State Police Post 10 in Harlan, Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement, Loyall Police Department and Lynch Police Department. Once arrested, suspects were brought to the Harlan Civic Center for processing before being taken to the Harlan County Detention Center. Friday’s enforcement effort marked the ninth time a UNITE roundup has included drug-dealers from Harlan County. UNITE created its law enforcement division in February 2004. Two months later, on April 6, police officers from state and local agencies joined with UNITE detectives to arrest 210 individuals in eight Kentucky River counties – the largest drug roundup conducted in Kentucky history. To date UNITE has arrested more than 2,000 individuals on drug-related charges. On July 14, 2006, the Harlan County community of Verda was selected for UNITE’s first “Operation Hot Spot” enforcement effort. Unlike other drug round-ups, this initiative seeks first to reclaim drug-invested neighborhoods by eliminating the dealers, then follows up on the high-profile effort by giving residents resources on UNITE’s other two equally important components – education and treatment – to keep their neighborhoods drug-free. UNITE returned for another Hot Spot effort on March 2, 2007, in the Tri-Cities area (Benham-Lynch-Cumberland). As of noon Friday, law enforcement officials had arrested 28 individuals. They are: • Bill Baldwin, age 52, Creek Street, Cumberland, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Wynston Bynum, age 28, Cawood Street, Harlan, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Dana M. Caldwell, age 26, Lee Drive, Cawood, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Judy Cawood, age 42, Marsh Street, Harlan, trafficking in a controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school. • Jacqueline Lacy Clem, age 23, Highway 421-South, Cawood, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Michael L. Deal, age 42, Clutts Road, Cumberland, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school. • Michael Earls, age 23, Mose Howard Hollow, Cawood, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Carol Grubbs, age 51, Cawood, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Tice Henry Grubbs, age 32, Cranks, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Brian Harris, age 20, Mountain View Avenue, Harlan, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Ronald Hensley, age 40, Turner Hill, Harlan, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Ronnie Hodge, age 53, Henson Street, Cumberland, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Harold Jones, age 63, Church Street, Lynch, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Bonnie Lewis, age 43, Day Hollow Road, Bledsoe, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Angelique Napier, age 36, Kris Kyle Road, Bledsoe, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Michael Shepherd, age 39, West Main Street, Lynch, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Mark Shoemaker, age 42, Treemont, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Gill Smith Sr., age 66, Maypother Drive, Loyall, trafficking in a controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school. • James Derek Stephenson, age 18, East Clover Street, Harlan, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Linda Stevens, age 36, Cawood, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Robert Stevens, age 39, Shuler Street, Smith, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Charles Trotter, age 55, Church Street, Benham, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Brittany Turner, age 19, Stacy Hill Road, Cumberland, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Esther White, age 48, West Johnson Street, Cumberland, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Melissa Williams, age 47, Benham, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Deanna “Dee” Woodsby, age 37, South Main Street, Harlan, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. • Angela Wyatt, age 24, Wood Street, Cumberland, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and second-degree persistent felony offender. • Sheila York, age 30, Third Street, Grays Knob, Harlan, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. For more information about Operation UNITE visit their website at www.operationunite.org. PRIDE and Owsley County partner to serve local students 2-21-08 BOONEVILLE, KY — Hands-on environmental lessons will be part of the curriculum at Owsley County Elementary School , thanks to a partnership between PRIDE, the Owsley County Fiscal Court and Owsley County Conservation District. A PRIDE environmental education coordinator will visit classrooms monthly to lead fun activities that prepare students for state science tests and life-long environmental stewardship. Owsley County’s PRIDE Environmental Education Outreach Program for the 2007-2008 school year was officially launched Dec. 17 when a partnership agreement was signed by PRIDE Chief Operating/Financial Officer Tammie Wilson, Judge-Executive Cale Turner, and Conservation District Chairperson Denise Hoffman. The program fee was paid by the fiscal court and conservation district. “I want to thank Judge Turner, the magistrates and Ms. Hoffman for supporting this program,” said Karen Engle, PRIDE President/Chief Executive Officer. “You obviously share PRIDE’s commitment to showing students how our daily lives impact the environment around us and why it is our personal responsibility to care for it. We must teach our students today about the importance of clean water quality, recycling, and proper trash disposal so they will have a cleaner, healthier environment for tomorrow.” The goal of the PRIDE Environmental Outreach Program is to increase children’s environmental knowledge by providing lessons tied to Kentucky Core Content and involving students in cleanup activities. PRIDE offers the program in its 38-county service area. To participate, each county pays a fee and local schools commit to implementing the program in cooperation with PRIDE staff. The program serves 3rd through 5th grade classes, with an emphasis on 4th graders who are tested on science in the state’s annual CATS testing. A PRIDE education coordinator visits classrooms each month to teach about a different environmental topic, such as recycling, energy, water quality, wetlands, solid waste issues and litter, and wildlife, plant and animal habitat. Sara Gilbert will be the PRIDE education coordinator serving Owsley County . She has been with PRIDE for four years and has experience leading hands-on lessons, cleanup activities and stream walks with students and scout groups. Gilbert earned her Bachelors of Science degree in Wildlife Management at Eastern Kentucky University and completed the Kentucky State Environmental Education Certification Program for non-formal educators. Eastern Kentucky PRIDE is a nonprofit organization that promotes “Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment” in southern and eastern Kentucky . PRIDE works with communities to improve water quality, clean up solid waste problems, and increase environmental awareness. For more information, please visit www.kypride.org or call the PRIDE office, which is located at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset , at 888-577-4339. |